Woke up to my alarm; it was seven in the morning. I rushed to the bathroom to take a shower and brush my teeth. I was late for work, or so I thought. As I washed my face with my usual morning beauty routine, I noticed something odd when I looked at the mirror. I looked different. Too different.
I slapped my face three times, but nothing happened. I was shocked and confused. No matter how hard I pinch myself, I couldn't wake up. I calmed down for a moment and took time to realize that I was Akari, an anime character I created in my head.
Akari had long black hair, sharp round eyes, and pale white skin. Despite being born in a wealthy family, Akari was not the same as those spoiled ladies of her age. She was rather disliked by many because of her cold aura and vibe. Akari was a talented and intelligent young lady. She had a kind heart and was rather introverted.
She only had one friend who was also her personal assistant, Sora, also about her age. Sora had beautiful curly red hair and would always wear it in a ponytail. She was kind and adorable. Though Sora and her family worked for Akari's family, Akari never treated her as an employee but a friend and a sister. They both went to the same high school and probably the same university.
Akari's life wouldn't be complete without her elder brother Kaito. Kaito always stood by Akari's side, and he loved her sister so much. He was a year older than Akari, and like her, he also had black hair but a very opposite aura to Akari. Kaito has a warm ambiance and smiles every second to almost everyone. He's very popular with girls even in university. These siblings were both talented, intelligent, and sporty. A super sibling, I would say.
One of Akari's struggles in high school was when Kaito had to go to university. She had to endure a whole year without his brother, but at least she still had Sora. Although in a well-known and famous family, she was also bullied in school and labeled the "ice queen." On the outside, she appeared unconcerned, but she was continuously dying and weeping on the inside. Akari was not mentally stable. She experienced trauma and abuse when she was young. She would have episodes from time to time and had to take medication to calm down. This was the reason why Kaito was always protective of her. She only sees dark shadows of people. Shadows that are full of hatred, anger, and pain. Shadows that show their demons. Or is it just her? Drowning in her thoughts.
A year passed, and Akari was about to go to university with Kaito and Sora. She was challenged by her brother to take a few steps and open her heart to people. She was reluctant because she had trust issues, and her trauma hindered her from opening up to people. Akari was comfortable with just the three of them together. However, she tried to put a facade of a perfectly happy girl who's friendly to everyone. She tried her best to put up a face and thought that it worked.
Until one interesting person came into the picture, he was not the typical guy, a total opposite to the main character. Still, instead, he was almost the same as Akari. He was the only one amongst the crowd that could read between the lines of Akari's smiles. Their short encounter made a significant impact on each of their lives.
A lot had happened, and Akari found herself at the edge of a cliff. She didn't know where to go and who else could ever save her from her demons. She had no choice but to jump off the cliff, and there I woke up on my bedroom floor with a large bump on my forehead.
This story of Akari is yet to be completed. Join her soon as she faces the world of shadows.
NOTE: Background photos from Canva. All photos are edited from Canva. Characters were made by me through the Lily Diary application.